Label issuing device and label issuing method

ABSTRACT

A label issuing device includes an imaging portion, an image output portion that outputs images captured by the imaging portion, an object recognition portion that recognizes a specific object by reading a feature amount of the output images, an information reading portion that reads information for the recognized object from a file storing information related to the object, and a label issuing portion that prints the read information for the object on a label and issues the label.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Division of application Ser. No. 13/214,367 filedon Aug. 22, 2011; the entire contents of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

The present application contains subject matter related to thatdisclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2010-186588 filedin the Japan Patent Office on Aug. 23, 2010 and Japanese Priority PatentApplication JP 2011-147574 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Jul. 1,2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a label issuing deviceand a label issuing method.

BACKGROUND

A store such as a supermarket uses a label printer which prints a labelwhich is attached to a product and indicates a product name or a price.The label printer reads product information such as a product name or aprice from a product master to thereby generate printing data to beprinted on a label, and prints a label based on the generated printingdata.

However, in recent years, there have been increasing part-timers havingno professional knowledge, and, for example, if the part-timers packfish fillets and give labels thereto in the backyard, they are confusedbecause of not knowing the kind of fish.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior of a label printeraccording to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state where a first printeris pulled from a main body.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of thelabel printer.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a dataconfiguration of a PLU file.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration ofCPUs.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing operationof the label printer.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a readingregion in a reading window.

FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating a screen display example on adisplay device.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a detailed example of theprocess.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of alabel printer according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating an example of an issued label.

FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating an example of an issued label.

FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating an example of an issued label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to one embodiment, there is provided a label issuing deviceincluding imaging means, image output means for outputting imagescaptured by the imaging means, object recognition means for recognizinga specific object by reading a feature amount of the output images,information reading means for reading information for the recognizedobject from a file storing information related to the object, and labelissuing means for printing the read information for the object on alabel and issuing the label.

Hereinafter, a label issuing device and a label issuing method accordingto the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings byexemplifying a label printer. The label issuing device according to theembodiment is applied to a label printer issuing a label on whichproduct information such as a product name or a price of a product isprinted, in a supermarket or a food processing plant.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior of a label printer1 according to a first embodiment. The label printer 1 printsinformation related to a product on a label and issues the printedlabel. A display such as a display device 3 is provided at an upper partof a main body 2 of the label printer 1. The display device 3 displays alabel registration screen for editing product information printed on alabel. In addition, a touch panel 4 is provided on a surface of thedisplay device 3. A keyboard 5 is provided at an upper surface of themain body 2 of the label printer 1. In addition, a weighing scale 8which places a product thereon and weighs the product is provided at afront lower part of the main body 2 of the label printer 1.

Further, the main body 2 of the label printer 1 contains two printerunits, a first printer 6 and a second printer 7 which are typicallyprovided in parallel. The first printer 6 and the second printer 7 havethe same configuration, and thus the first printer 6 will be hereinafterdescribed. The first printer 6 can be pulled from the main body 2 asshown in FIG. 2 by drawing the first printer in a direction A in a stateof hanging a finger on a groove section 6 a provided at a lower part ofa front panel of the first printer 6.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the firstprinter 6 is pulled from the main body 2. Inside the first printer 6,roll-shaped label paper P where labels are attached to a cardboard isheld by a holding shaft (not shown) to be attachable and detachable. Thefirst printer 6 has a printer head 16 such as a thermal head. Theprinter head 16 prints characters, symbols, barcodes, two-dimensionalcodes, and the like on the label paper P. The printed labels aredischarged from a label issuing outlet 6 b provided at an upper part ofthe front panel of the first printer 6. In addition, in a similarmanner, the second printer 7 also has a label issuing outlet 7 b and aprinter head 17 (refer to FIG. 3).

The label printer 1 reads product information such as a product name ora price from a PLU file F1 (described in detail later; refer to FIG. 4)to thereby generate printing data printed on a label, and prints a labelbased on the generated printing data. Further, the label printer 1includes a product reading portion 10 (refer to FIG. 3).

The product reading portion 10 disposes an imaging portion 104 (refer toFIG. 3) inside a reading window 9.

An operator (store clerk) brings a product, and moves the product to theweighing scale 8. In the course of the movement, the product faces thereading window 9 of the label printer 1. At this time, the image portion104 (refer to FIG. 3) disposed inside the reading window 9 images theproduct. The product reading portion 10 detects the overall product or apart thereof included in the images captured by the imaging portion 104.If the label printer 1 detects that the overall product or a partthereof is included in the image captured by the imaging portion 104,the label printer 1 specifies a product for each of the productsincluded in the captured images by referring to the PLU file F1(described in detail later; refer to FIG. 4) correlated with an image ofa product and recognizing a product which is a specific object from theimages of the overall product or a part thereof captured by the imagingportion 104 of the product reading portion 10.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of thelabel printer 1. The label printer 1 includes a microcomputer 60 as aninformation processing portion for executing information process. Themicrocomputer 60 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61 which executesvarious kinds of calculation processes and controls respective parts, aROM (Read Only Memory) 62, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 63, whichare connected via a bus.

The CPU 61 of the label printer 1 is connected to the display device 3,the touch panel 4, the keyboard 5, and the weighing scale 8 which areall connected via a variety of input and output circuits (not shown).The above-described elements are controlled by the CPU 61.

The CPU 61 of the label printer 1 is connected to a HDD (Hard DiskDrive) 64. The HDD 64 stores programs or various kinds of files. All ora part of the programs or the various kinds of files stored in the HDD64 are copied to the RAM 63 when the label printer 1 is activated, andsequentially are executed by the CPU 61. An example of the programsstored in the HDD 64 is a program PR for label printing. An example ofthe files stored in the HDD 64 is the PLU file F1 which is deliveredfrom a store computer SC and is stored.

The PLU file F1 is a file in which correlation between informationrelated to registration for sales of a product and an image of theproduct is set for each of products arranged and sold in a store. FIG. 4is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a data configurationof the PLU file F1. As shown in FIG. 4, the PLU file F1 is a file whichstores information regarding a product such as a product ID uniquelyallocated to each product, a product classification to which the productbelongs, a product name, and a unit price, a product image obtained byimaging the product, a threshold value of “similarity: 0.XX”. Althoughdetails are described later, using the threshold value of “similarity:0.XX”, it is possible to determine that, if a product is a fruit or afresh vegetable, and the freshness thereof is lowered and is thusdiscolored, the product is different from a normal state product throughthe comparison with a product image of the product which is stored inthe PLU file F1 in advance.

Referring to FIG. 3 again, the CPU 61 of the label printer 1 isconnected to a communication interface 25 for executing datacommunication with the store computer SC via the input and outputcircuits (not shown). The store computer SC is installed at the backyardof the store or the like. An HDD (not shown) of the store computer SCstores the PLU file F1 which is delivered to the label printer 1.

In addition, the CPU 61 of the label printer 1 is connected to theproduct reading portion 10. In addition, the CPU 61 of the label printer1 is connected to the first printer 6 and the second printer 7 which aretwo printer units performing label printing. The label printer 1performs label printing under the control of the CPU 61.

The product reading portion 10 also has a microcomputer 110. Themicrocomputer 110 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, and a RAM 103 which areconnected to each other via a bus. The ROM 102 stores programs executedby the CPU 101.

The CPU 101 is connected to the imaging portion 104 and a sound outputportion 105 via a variety of input and output circuits (not shown).Operations of the imaging portion 104 and the sound output portion 105are controlled by the CPU 101.

The imaging portion 104 is a color CCD image sensor, a color CMOS imagesensor, or the like, and is imaging means for performing imaging fromthe reading window 9 under the control of the CPU 101. For example, theimaging portion 104 captures moving images at 30 fps. Frame images whichare sequentially captured by the imaging portion 104 at a predeterminedframe rate are preserved in the RAM 103.

The sound output portion 105 includes a sound circuit, a speaker, andthe like for generating a warning sound or the like set in advance. Thesound output portion 105 sends a notification using sounds such as awarning sound under the control of the CPU 101.

In addition, under the control of the CPU 101, images (images includingthe overall product or apart thereof) captured by the imaging portion104 of the product reading portion 10 are input to the CPU 61 of thelabel printer 1.

Next, functional portions of the CPU 101 and the CPU 61 realized by theCPU 101 and the CPU 61 sequentially executing programs will be describedwith reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating afunctional configuration of the CPU 101 and the CPU 61. As shown in FIG.5, the CPU 101 sequentially executes the programs and thereby functionsas a captured image incorporation portion 1011, a product detectionportion 1012, and an image output portion 1013 which is image outputmeans. In a similar manner, the CPU 61 functions as an objectrecognition portion 611 which is object recognition means, a productdisplay portion 612 which is notification means, a similaritydetermination portion 613 which is similarity determination means, adefective product notification portion 614 which is defectivenotification means, an information reading portion 615 which isinformation reading means, and a label issuing portion 616 which islabel issuing means.

The captured image incorporation portion 1011 outputs an imaging startsignal to the imaging portion 104 such that the imaging portion 104starts an imaging operation. The captured image incorporation portion1011 sequentially incorporates frame images which are captured by theimaging portion 104 and are preserved in the RAM 103 after the start ofthe imaging operation. The incorporation of the frame images by thecaptured image incorporation portion 1011 is performed in an order to bepreserved in the RAM 103.

The product detection portion 1012 detects the overall product or a partthereof included in the frame images incorporated by the captured imageincorporation portion 1011 using a pattern matching technique or thelike. Specifically, the product detection portion 1012 extracts anoutline or the like from a binarized image of the incorporated frameimage. Next, the product detection portion 1012 compares an outline fromthe previous frame image with an outline from this frame image, anddetects a changed part, that is, a ghost image of a product facing thereading window 9 for registration for sales. In addition, as othermethods of detecting a product, whether or not there is a skin colorregion is detected from read frame images. Then, if the skin colorregion is detected, that is, if a ghost image of a hand of the storeclerk is detected, an outline of the product which is assumed to begrasped by the hand of the store clerk is tried to be extracted byperforming the above-described outline detection. At this time, if anoutline indicating a shape of the hand and other outlines are detected,a ghost image of the product is detected from a state where the storeclerk grasps the product with the hand.

The image output portion 1013 outputs the frame images incorporated bythe captured image incorporation portion 1011 to the CPU 61 of the labelprinter 1. The image output portion 1013 may sequentially output theframe images incorporated by the captured image incorporation portion1011 to the CPU 61 of the label printer 1; however, in the embodiment,it is assumed that frame images where the overall product or a partthereof is detected by the product detection portion 1012 are output tothe CPU 61 of the label printer 1. As such, by outputting the frameimages where the overall product or a part thereof is detected by theproduct detection portion 1012 to the CPU 61 of the label printer 1, itis possible to prevent the CPU 61 of the label printer 1 from performingthe object recognition by referring to the FLU file F1 using frameimages which do not include any or a part of the product. Since therecognition process of a specific object takes processing time, it ispossible to reduce the processing time by preventing frame images whichhave no probability of recognizing a specific object and do not includeany or a part of the product, from being processed.

The object recognition portion 611 refers to product images of the FLUfile F1, and recognizes a product as a specific object by reading asurface state such as a tone or an unevenness situation of the surfaceas a feature amount from images of the overall product or a part thereofcaptured by the imaging portion 104 of the product reading portion 10.In addition, it is assumed that the object recognition portion 611 doesnot take into consideration of an outline or a size of a product inorder to reduce processing time. The CPU 61 of the label printer 1 canspecify a product read by the product reading portion 10 among productsset in the FLU file F1 in advance, based on a result recognized by theobject recognition portion 611.

The similarity determination portion 613 calculates similarity of theproduct recognized by the object recognition portion 611, and determineswhether or not the similarity exceeds a threshold value which is set inthe PLU file F1 in advance.

The recognition of an object included in an image in this way is calledgeneric object recognition. For the generic object recognition, thefollowing document describes a variety of recognition techniques.

Keiji YANAI, “The Current State and Future Directions on Generic ObjectRecognition”, Information Processing Society Journal, Vol 48, No. SIG 16[searched on Aug. 10, 2010], Internet <URL:http://mm.cs.uec.ac.jp/IPSJ-TCVIM-Yanai.pdf>.

In addition, a technique in which generic object recognition isperformed by dividing an image into regions for each object is describedin the following document.

Jamie Shotton et al., “Semantic Texton Forests for Image Categorizationand Segmentation”, [searched on Aug. 10, 2010], Internet <URL:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.145.3036&rep=repl&type=pdf>.

The information reading portion 615 reads information related to theproduct image recognized by the object recognition portion 611, that is,a product ID, a product classification, a product name, a unit price,and the like of the product specified as the product read by the productreading portion 10, and the product display portion 612 displays theinformation related to the product on the display device 3.

The label issuing portion 616 prints the information related to theproduct read by the information reading portion 615 on a label andissues the label.

Next, an operation of the label printer 1 will be described in detail.FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of thelabel printer 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, if the process starts through the pressing of, forexample, a production confirmation mode key (not shown) provided in thekeyboard 5, the captured image incorporation portion 1011 outputs animaging start signal to the imaging portion 104 such that the imagingportion 104 starts imaging (ACT 1). Next, the captured imageincorporation portion 1011 incorporates frames images (captured images)which are captured by the imaging portion 104 and are preserved in theRAM 103 (ACT 2). Then, the product detection portion 1012 detects theoverall product or a part thereof from the frame images incorporated bythe captured image incorporation portion 1011 (ACT 3). Next, the imageoutput portion 1013 outputs the frame images where the overall productor a part thereof is detected by the product detection portion 1012 tothe CPU 61 side (ACT 4).

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a readingregion R in the reading window 9. Specifically, FIG. 7 is a conceptualdiagram exemplifying the reading region R when a product A is read. Asshown in FIG. 7, when the product A casts a glare on the reading regionR in the course of the movement of the product A, the overall product Aor a part thereof is detected from frame images obtained by capturingthe reading region R in ACT 3. In ACT 4, the frame images obtained bycapturing the reading region R are output to the CPU 61 due to thedetection of the overall product A or a part thereof.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 61 receives the frame images where theoverall product A or a part thereof is detected, output from the productreading portion 10 (ACT 11). Thereafter, the object recognition portion611 refers to a product image of the PLU file F1, and recognizes theproduct A as a specific object from the image of the overall product Aor a part thereof, output from the product reading portion 10 (ACT 12).

Next, the similarity determination portion 613 calculates similarity ofthe product A recognized by the object recognition portion 611 (ACT 13).The similarity indicates to what degree the image of the overall productA or a part thereof output from the product reading portion 10 issimilar if a product image of each product stored in the PLU file F1 is100%=“similarity: 1.0”. As described above, the similarity is calculatedaccording to a surface state such as, for example, a tone or anunevenness situation of the surface. In addition, for example, weightingthereof may be changed in the tone or the unevenness situation.

Next, the similarity determination portion 613 determines whether or notthe similarity calculated in ACT 13 exceeds a threshold value(“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14).

If the similarity determination portion 613 determines that thesimilarity calculated in ACT 13 exceeds the threshold value(“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14: Yes), in ACT 15, theinformation reading portion 615 reads information (a product ID, aproduct classification, a product name, a unit price, and the like)related to the product image of the product A which is a specific objectrecognized by the object recognition portion 611, and the productdisplay portion 612 displays the information related to the productimage of the product A on the display device 3 (ACT 15).

FIG. 8 shows a screen display example on the display device 3. In theexample shown in FIG. 8, the image of the product A is displayed on adisplay region G1, and product information such as the product name ofthe product A preserved in advance is displayed on a display region G2together. Through the screen display, since the kind of fish can begrasped without having professional knowledge, for example, if fishfillets are packed in the backyard, it is possible to assist indetermining the kind of fish fillets or the like.

Thereafter, the CPU 61 determines whether or not the work is completeddue to an operation instruction of the keyboard 5 or the like (ACT 16).If the work is continued (ACT 16: No), the CPU 61 makes the processreturn to ACT 11 such that the process is continued. If the work iscompleted (ACT 16: Yes), the CPU 61 completes the process.

On the other hand, if the similarity determination portion 613determines that the similarity calculated in ACT 13 does not exceed thethreshold value (“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14: No), thedefective product notification portion 614 notifies a store clerk thatthe product is not recognized as a normal product (ACT 17), and demandsthe store side to take measures such as sales stop. Specifically, thedefective product notification portion 614 notifies the store clerk oferrors through screen display on the display device 3, an output of awarning sound from the sound output portion 105, or the like. The labelprinter 1 can demand the store clerk to perform an appropriate operationsuch as reading another product A through this notification.

As shown in FIG. 9, if the product A recognized by the objectrecognition portion 611 is a “banana”, and the threshold value is storedin the PLU file F1 as “similarity: 0.50”, since the similarity of aproduct shown in (a) of FIG. 9 is 0.717, it is determined that thecalculated similarity exceeds the preset threshold value. On the otherhand, the similarity of a product shown in (b) of FIG. 9 is 0.252, andthus it is determined that the calculated similarity does not exceed thepreset threshold value. Therefore, the product shown in (a) of FIG. 9 isregistered for sales as a “banana” as usual. On the other hand, theproduct shown in (b) of FIG. 9 is temporarily recognized as a “banana”,but is not registered for sales due to a defective product which is oldand discolored, damaged, and deformed, that is, of which a tone or anunevenness situation of a surface is not normal. In a similar manner,for ready-made foods, a product image based on a normal baked state orfried state is stored in the PLU file F1, and if insufficient orexcessive baking, insufficient or excessive frying, or the like isdeviated from a threshold value, the ready-made food may be determinedas being a defective product.

As such, according to the label printer 1 in the embodiment, if old anddiscolored, damaged, deformed, and different in a tone due to poorcooking, fish or ready-made foods which are deviated from a referencemay be determined as being a defective product, through comparison witha product image stored in the PLU file F1.

Particularly, even in a store which has a limitation in time forchecking freshness of products such as a busy store, or a store whichhas personal differences in cooking read-made foods due to employment ofmany store clerks, it is possible to perform the comparison with anormal product through the numerical determination.

In addition, in the embodiment, although objects to be recognized areproducts for sales stored in the PLU file F1, the objects are notlimited thereto, but may be promotional products for promoting sales, orthe like.

A program executed in the label printer 1 according to the embodiment isprovided in a state of being embedded in the ROM or the like in advance.The program executed by the label printer 1 according to the embodimentmay be recorded on a computer readable recording medium such as aCD-ROM, a flexible disc (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)as a file with a format which can be installed or executed, and may beprovided.

In addition, the program executed by the label printer 1 according tothe embodiment may be stored in a computer connected to a network suchas the Internet, and may be provided through downloading via thenetwork. The program executed by the label printer 1 may be provided ordistributed via a network such as the Internet.

The program executed by the label printer 1 according to the embodimenthas a module configuration including the above-described respectiveportions (the object recognition portion 611, the product displayportion 612, the similarity determination portion 613, the detectiveproduct notification portion 614, the information reading portion 615,the label issuing portion 616, the captured image incorporation portion1011, the product detection portion 1012, and the image output portion1013). In practical hardware, the CPU (processor) reads and executes theprogram from the ROM and thereby the above-described portions are loadedto a main storage device, and the object recognition portion 611, theproduct display portion 612, the similarity determination portion 613,the detective product notification portion 614, the information readingportion 615, the label issuing portion 616, the captured imageincorporation portion 1011, the product detection portion 1012, and theimage output portion 1013 are created on the main storage device.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. In addition, portions whichare the same as in the first embodiment are given the same referencenumeral, and description thereof will be omitted. In the firstembodiment, there is the description where an object is recognized and anotification of information for the recognized object is sent, forexample, if fish fillets are packed in the backyard. In this embodiment,a label is further issued based on the information for the recognizedobject.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of thelabel printer 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, if theprocess starts through the pressing of, for example, a label issuingmode key (not shown) provided in the keyboard 5, the captured imageincorporation portion 1011 outputs an imaging start signal to theimaging portion 104 such that the imaging portion 104 starts imaging(ACT 1). Next, the captured image incorporation portion 1011incorporates frames images (captured images) which are captured by theimaging portion 104 and are preserved in the RAM 103 (ACT 2). Then, theproduct detection portion 1012 detects the overall product or a partthereof from the frame images incorporated by the captured imageincorporation portion 1011 (ACT 3). Next, the image output portion 1013outputs the frame images where the overall product or a part thereof isdetected by the product detection portion 1012 to the CPU 61 side (ACT4).

Next, the CPU 61 receives the frame images where the overall product Aor a part thereof is detected, output from the product reading portion10 (ACT 11). Thereafter, the object recognition portion 611 refers to aproduct image of the PLU file F1, and recognizes the product A as aspecific object from the image of the overall product A or a partthereof, output from the product reading portion 10 (ACT 12).

Next, the similarity determination portion 613 calculates similarity ofthe product A recognized by the object recognition portion 611 (ACT 13).

Thereafter, the similarity determination portion 613 determines whetheror not the similarity calculated in ACT 13 exceeds a threshold value(“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14).

If the similarity determination portion 613 determines that thesimilarity calculated in ACT 13 exceeds the threshold value(“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14: Yes), in ACT 15, theinformation reading portion 615 reads information (a product ID, aproduct classification, a product name, a unit price, and the like)related to the product image of the product A which is a specific objectrecognized by the object recognition portion 611, and the productdisplay portion 612 displays the information related to the productimage of the product A on the display device 3 (ACT 15). In addition, anoperator places the product A on the weighing scale 8 until theinformation (the product ID, the product classification, the productname, the unit price, and the like) related to the product image of theproduct A is displayed on the display device 3 at latest.

Further, the CPU 61 measures the product placed on the weighing scale 8by weight (ACT 20), generates printing data based on the readinformation (the product ID, the product classification, the productname, the unit price, and the like) and the measured weight, and printsand issues a label based on the generated printing data (ACT 21). FIG.11 is a plan view illustrating an example of an issued label L1. Asshown in FIG. 11, the product name, the unit price, the weight, theprice according to the weight, and the like are printed on the label L1.

On the other hand, if the similarity determination portion 613determines that the similarity calculated in ACT 13 does not exceed thethreshold value (“similarity: 0.XX”) set in advance (ACT 14: No), thedefective product notification portion 614 notifies a store clerk thatthe product is not recognized as a normal product (ACT 17), and demandsthe store side to take measures such as sales stop or a price cut sale.Specifically, the defective product notification portion 614 notifiesthe store clerk of errors through screen display on the display device3, an output of a warning sound from the sound output portion 105, orthe like.

If the CPU 61 determines whether or not there is an instruction for theprice cut sale through an operation instruction of the keyboard 5 (ACT22: Yes), the information reading portion 615 reads the information (theproduct ID, the product classification, the product name, the unitprice, and the like) related to the product image of the product A whichis a specific object recognized by the object recognition portion 611.The product display portion 612 displays the information related to theproduct image of the product A on the display device 3 (ACT 23) andfixes a price cut amount of the product A which is not recognized as thenormal product (ACT 24). In addition, a price cut rate or the price cutamount used when the product A which is not recognized as the normalproduct is sold by cutting down the price may be set in a stepwisemanner. The price cut rate or the price cut amount may be set accordingto the similarity in a stepwise manner by correlating with, for example,a plurality of threshold values (similarity: 0.XX) stored in the PLUfile F1 in advance.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an instruction forsales stop through an operation instruction of the keyboard 5 (ACT 22:No), the process returns to ACT 11.

Thereafter, the CPU 61 measures the product placed on the weighing scale8 by weight (ACT 20). The label issuing portion 616 generates printingdata based on the read information (the product ID, the productclassification, the product name, the unit price, and the like), theprice cut amount, and the measured weight, and prints and issues a labelbased on the generated printing data (ACT 21). FIG. 12 is a plan viewillustrating an example of an issued label L2. In the label L2 shown inFIG. 12, since the product is not recognized as the normal product, theprice cut amount ($2.00) and a price obtained by subtracting the pricecut amount ($2.00) from a usual price are displayed.

In addition, the embodiment is not limited to the case of displaying theprice obtained by subtracting the price cut amount from the usual priceon the label as in FIG. 12, but, as shown in FIG. 13, a price cut labelL3 indicating the price cut amount ($2.00) may be printed and issuedseparately from the normal label L1 (the same as in FIG. 11).

A novel effect and modified example can be easily derived by a personskilled in the art. Therefore, wider aspects of the exemplaryembodiments are not limited to the specific details and representativeembodiment which have been shown and described hitherto. Accordingly,the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover suchforms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of theembodiments.

In addition, although it is determined whether or not there is aninstruction for sales stop through an operation instruction of thekeyboard 5 in ACT 22 in the embodiments, the embodiment is not limitedthereto, but a price cut process and a label issuing process may beperformed or stopped directly depending on an object recognition result.For example, if a product is not recognized as a normal product, a pricecut amount is fixed and price cut information is printed on a labeldepending on the object recognition result even if there is noinstruction for a price cut sale through the operation instruction ofthe keyboard 5 or the like (alternatively, the price cut process or thelabel issuing process is stopped depending on the object recognitionresult).

What is claimed is:
 1. A label issuing device comprising: an imagingportion; an image output portion that outputs an image captured by theimaging portion; an object recognition portion that recognizes aspecific object by reading a feature amount of the output image; aninformation reading portion that reads information related to therecognized object from a file storing the information related to therecognized object; a weighing scale that measures the recognized objectby weight; and a label issuing portion that prints the read informationrelated to the recognized object and the measured weight of therecognized object on a label and issues the label.
 2. The deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising a display portion that displaysthe read information related to the recognized object.
 3. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the label issuing portion prints a productname, the measured weight, and a price according to the measured weightof the recognized object.
 4. The device according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a similarity determination portion that calculatessimilarity indicating to what degree the recognized object is similar toa reference image of the object which is defined in advance, anddetermines whether or not the calculated similarity exceeds a thresholdvalue set in advance; and a defective product notification portion thatsends a notification indicating that the object is not recognized as anormal product when it is determined that the calculated similarity doesnot exceed the threshold value set in advance.
 5. The device accordingto claim 4, wherein the similarity determination portion calculates thesimilarity according to a surface state of the object using the surfacestate of the object as the feature amount of the image.
 6. The deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein the label issuing portion prints price cutinformation related to the object which is not recognized as a normalproduct on a label and issues the label, when the notificationindicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product is sentby the defective product notification portion.
 7. The device accordingto claim 4, wherein the label issuing portion prints price cutinformation related to the object which is not recognized as a normalproduct on a label and issues the label, when there is an instructionfor a price cut sale after the notification indicating that the objectis not recognized as a normal product is sent by the defective productnotification portion.
 8. The device according to claim 4, wherein thelabel issuing portion stops printing information related to the objectwhich is not recognized as a normal product on a label and issuing thelabel, when the notification indicating that the object is notrecognized as a normal product is sent by the defective productnotification portion.
 9. A label issuing method comprising: outputtingan image captured by an imaging portion; recognizing a specific objectby reading a feature amount of the output image; reading informationrelated to the recognized object from a file storing the informationrelated to the recognized object; measuring the recognized object byweight; and printing the read information related to the recognizedobject and the measured weight of the recognized object on a label andissuing the label.
 10. The method according to claim 9, furthercomprising displaying the read information related to the recognizedobject.